AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Nicole Thorn

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer? *

I was about twenty when my best friend and current occasional writing partner told me i needed to try it out. I've been writing ever since.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today? *

I read a lot of paranormal, and that's where my heart lies. Anything of the like, and a lot of YA

3. What was the inspiration behind your latest release? *

Me and my partner really wanted to do a Greek Mythology story, so we built a world around that.

4. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life? *

I'm not good at that kind of thing, so i try and avoid it.

5. Why do you write in your chosen genre? What other genres would you like to try your hand at? *

Paranormal is what interests me the most. I like monsters. I also dabble in contemporary.

6. What would you do if you were your main character? *

In this series.... i would be abusing my power over plant life and making myself a lot of fruit trees.

7. Will we ever see these characters again? *

Yes! There are eight more books with them.

8. Would you like to see this book as a film or TV show? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters? *

While i wouldn't mind that, my partner isn't one for that kind of thing. I'm also terrible at dream casting.

9. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I'd like to have a pretty little vanity shelf, and enough readers that this could be a full time job.

10. Is there anything you haven't touched on that you'd like readers to know about your book? *

It's a split POV between the leads. Some laughs, some tears, and some violence.

11. What would you be doing if you weren't writing? *

Sleeping. 

12. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next? *

I'm working on a few sequels, and my partner is working on book three in her Angel of Ruin series with CHBB Publishing.

13. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with? *

Does Alexander Hamilton count?

14. What are three things that may surprise your readers to know about you? *

I'm not actually the Devil.

15. Please list your links where readers can find you online and purchase your works. *

https://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Thorn/e/B014BL5YD6

https://www.amazon.com/Will-Gain-Fury-Seers-Demigods/dp/069275833X

BOOK REVIEW + GUEST POST: "Folly Cove" by Holly Robinson

The ties of family bind us forever—no matter how far we may go to escape them... 
The Bradford sisters are famous in Rockport, Massachusetts: for their beauty, their singing voices, their legendary ancestors, and their elegant mother, Sarah, who has run the historic Folly Cove Inn alone ever since her husband disappeared. 
The two youngest sisters, Anne and Elly, fled Folly Cove as soon as they could to pursue their dreams and escape the Bradford name, while Laura stayed and created a seemingly picture perfect life. After a series of bad decisions, Anne has no choice but to come home and face her critical mother and oldest sister, reluctantly followed by Elly, another Bradford woman who’s hiding something. 
As the three sisters plan a grand celebration for their mother’s birthday, they struggle to maintain the illusions about their lives that they’ve so carefully crafted. But when painful old wounds reopen and startling family secrets are revealed, they soon discover that even the seemingly unbreakable bonds of sisterhood can be tested... 

I received an ARC  from the publicist in exchange for an honest review.

I've read one of Ms. Robinson's books before (also very family-based), and was ecstatic when I was approached to be an advance reviewer of this book. From the first page I was completely enveloped in this story. It's multi-dimensional, multi-generational, and truly brilliant. Each character is so unique, so well-rounded, so full of surprises. I really loved Elly because I could relate to her, especially her broken heart and running away from not making it in her dream job. But Anne is a wonderful character, too, and it was her POV I loved reading the most.
I admit I felt so sorry for Laura and her issues with her husband, but hers was something I could not relate to, but I am sure others will. One thing I want to mention is WHY Laura has issues with her husband. I despised him with a passion for the first half of the book until I found out his truth, his story. It's something a LOT of readers will be shocked over, but it was something I wanted to reach out and hug Ms. Robinson for writing. It was unexpected, it was modern, and it was perfect. Thank you, Ms. Robinson, for giving us a character development like this. What he did is something many people like him struggle to do every single day.
Sarah...ah, Sarah. I didn't like her, even by the end of the book. But that's okay, because I LOVE reading a book where I dislike characters but the story is still so great I just kept reading it anyway. She has great depth of character, and while I disliked her, her story was the most interesting by far.
This is the right way to do women's fiction: it's different, it's emotional, it's honest, it's raw. It drew me in and these characters will stay with me forever.

5/5--just brilliant!

Folly Cove will be available October 4th everywhere books are sold.

~*~*~

GUEST POST from Holly Robinson:

The Challenges of Describing the Equestrian World to Non-Riders
Holly Robinson
As a child, my biggest passion was horse books. If there was a horse on the cover of a book, you can bet that book was on my shelf, from Black Beauty to The Black Stallion, from My Friend Flicka to Misty of Chincoteague. The next best thing were books that weren't specifically about horses, but featured characters who rode them, like those in the Trixie Belden “girl detective” series.
Naturally, reading about horses led me to want one. I lived a rich fantasy life filled with mounts of every description, even pretending my pink bicycle was a horse, and paced the hallways of our house as if I were leading a headstrong Mustang.
Eventually, my parents caved and bought me a real horse when I was eleven. I named my chubby gray mare “Ladybug” because of the red freckles on her coat. She threw me off twenty times the first month I had her, but I was so besotted with Ladybug that I wore a picture of her in a locket around my neck. (You can imagine how popular I must have been in junior high.)
I rode hunt seat and showed Ladybug and other horses through the years. My mother, who had grown up with horses, ran a stable when my dad retired. I was her helper and assistant instructor.
Eventually, I went to college and became a writer, freelancing for newspapers and magazines as I forged a career as a novelist. It dawned on me only as I started writing my newest book, Folly Cove, that I could finally write a novel of my own with a horse on the cover. I didn't want to write a novel about horses, because I write what one reviewer called “emotional family mysteries.” But I did want to convey to non-riders what it's really like to love horses and live in the equestrian world.
The first step was easy: I created a main character, Laura, who owns a stable where she boards other people's horses for money and gives riding lessons. But, as I started writing about Laura's life, I ran into trouble. She's a better rider than I was; Laura was on the show circuit until she got pregnant in college. But non-riders probably weren't going to want to read about horse shows or wade through any hardcore horse jargon. (Rule #1 of writing: “Don't bore people.”)
No, I needed to convey to non-riders the deeper reasons why people love horses enough to pour countless hours of time and buckets of money into this particular passion. I started mulling over my own adolescence and realized that horses saved my life. When I was hurting after my sister's death and my parents' divorce, horses offered unconditional love and an escape. I could canter around a ring and take jumps and feel powerful. Better yet, I could fling myself onto a horse and gallop along the trails with the exhilarating feel of a magnificent animal carrying me far, far away.
So I created my character, Laura, as a woman on the edge. Her daughter may have an eating disorder, her family's money problems are huge, and Laura thinks her youngest sister slept with her husband. I wanted my readers—even those who have never been near a horse—to relate to Laura's conflicts, and to understand how being in the riding stable gives her a sanctuary as she does daily barn chores like mucking out stalls.
Then I realized most readers would probably empathize even more with Laura's obsession with horses if they went on a ride with her. I gave Laura a gelding named Star and had her take him out on the trails:
When Star relaxed, she used her calves to urge him into a trot. Finally they reached the straightaway and she signaled him to canter. Laura leaned low against the horse’s neck as the animal flattened into a smooth gallop. The wind made her eyes tear as the landscape blurred by in yellows and reds and golds. The speed let her empty her mind. There was nothing but this moment, this animal beneath her, the landscape whipping by, the sharp sting of salty air on her face. She was blissfully free.
Isn't that what we're all looking for, in the end? Some way to engage so completely in the moment, that we feel “blissfully free?”
That's what horses have always done for me. I hope they'll do the same for readers of Folly Cove.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Laurencia Hoffman

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer? *

I've always been creative. I love movies and storytelling. At first I wanted to be an actress, but then I decided that I would rather be behind-the-scenes than the center of attention.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today? *

When I was younger, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien inspired me. I hate to say it, but now I'm more focused on writing my own stories than reading others. 

3. What was the inspiration behind your latest release? *

My latest release, A Wish for Remembrance, was inspired by a soap opera called Dark Shadows. It had the dark elements of what it meant to be a vampire, and how cruel vampires can really be. I think it's a very modern thing to have nice vampires (I'm guilty of that too), so I wanted to show a bit of that cruelty with this story. 

4. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life? *

I don't think my stories take from real life. My fiction is just fiction, though I do take inspiration from actors and actresses that I admire. 

5. Why do you write in your chosen genre? What other genres would you like to try your hand at? *

I don't like to limit myself to any one genre. I like a little of everything. But I think I'm mostly drawn to the supernatural elements because I can do anything with them. Again, there's not really any limitation to what I can do with the stories and the characters.

6. What would you do if you were your main character? *

Run and hide. No, really. It doesn't matter which book of mine you read. My main characters do not have it easy. 

7. Will we ever see these characters again? *

I don't think so. In my mind, there's nowhere else to go with the story. I like it the way it is.

8. Would you like to see this book as a film or TV show? If yes, who do you want to see play your characters? *

Absolutely! When I write I always see the story in terms of film, so I choose the faces of my characters as well. I think Keira Knightley would be perfect as Lucy, Bradley James as Abel, Jared Leto as Wesley, Kate Beckinsale as Scarlett, Kelly Monaco as Naomi, and Johnny Depp as Corbin. Like I said, I think about these things in advance!

9. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

N/A

10. Is there anything you haven't touched on that you'd like readers to know about your book? *

I do my best to answer any and all questions that the readers may have, but none come to mind with this one.

11. What would you be doing if you weren't writing? *

I honestly don't know. I can't imagine not doing it!

12. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next? *

Of course! Next up will be the sequel to a novel called Bad Blood. It's a vampire series, nice and dark, just the way I like them. The sequel is called Flesh and Blood and it comes out in October. Be on the lookout!

13. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with? *

I think it would be great to work with anyone I've already listed. But I have a few writer friends I'd like to work with someday.

14. What are three things that may surprise your readers to know about you? *

I have anxiety. I enjoy a good romance film. I don't like the cold.

15. Please list your links where readers can find you online and purchase your works. *

https://www.amazon.com/Laurencia-Hoffman/e/B009AXY1G2 https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurenciahoffman/

RELEASE BLITZ: "Days Of You And Me" by Tawdra Kandle

Days of You and Me by Tawdra Kandle

Series: Keeping Score Book 3 Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance Publication Date: September 27, 2016

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Once upon a time, not that long ago, I had just about everything I ever wanted. I was a star football player at one of the best colleges in the country, and I had the girl I d always loved by my side. The promise of a future most guys can only dream about was close enough to touch. But if there s anything I've learned, it s that life is unpredictable. One twist can change it all, and suddenly, I m alone. Even football, the one constant in all the insanity, somehow isn t enough anymore, because without her, everything else is empty. Meaningless. I've got one shot left. One more chance to win her heart. We re not kids now, and I know that being good enough for Quinn isn t some game I can fake my way through. She s more than the prize; she s my reason for living. The world only makes sense when we re together. And this time, I m going to do whatever it takes to give us our happy ending."

BOOK REVIEW: "Twilight At Blueberry Barrens" by Colleen Coble

Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living.
Renting out the small cottage on her property seems an obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When entrepreneur Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is—because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family.
The more time Kate spends with Drake and the girls, the more difficult it becomes to hide her attraction to him. But a family crisis isn’t exactly the ideal time to pursue a romance.
Meanwhile, Kate learns that her uncle—in prison for murder—has escaped. Add to that a local stalker who won’t leave her alone, and Kate is looking over her shoulder at every turn. With threats swirling from multiple directions, she wonders if her blueberry fields will ever flourish again . . . or if this twilight is her last.

I received an ARC of this book from the author's publicist in exchange for an honest review.

I was aware, when I agreed to review this book, that it was both religious and the author's first attempt at writing a thriller. I'm going to talk about the good first, because there is a fair amount of "good" in this book. Ms. Coble can create really wonderful, three-dimensional characters you can see and hear in your mind. She creates great emotion and real depth. I will, in the future, read some of her non-thriller books.
Now with the bad. As mentioned, this is her first thriller and you can tell. The romantic aspect of the story flows beautifully, in contrast to the thriller elements, which seem a bit all over the place. I usually love books with multiple POV, but I think we could have done with just Kate and Drake's. Claire, Luke, and the killer's POVs just make the book jump around too much for my liking. And we get all these POVs in the first five chapters.
I found the plot to be wonderful, but it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. It was less "suspense" and more "plodding along". Her descriptive nature is excellent, but for some reason it fell short of describing the suspenseful scenes that could have been exacerbated.
The last thing I disliked comes from a more personal perspective rather than a professional one (as the ones above did). Within the first forty pages, we hear Kate talk about how she can't have children four times. Four times in forty pages. She feels anger over it, she feels worthless to men because of it. I realize that God made women to have children to repopulate the world, but that is not all a woman is good for. At all. I'd really like to see "women's fiction" be about EMPOWERING women, instead of catering to archaic ideals that are no longer relevant. Kate helps with her church, helping dozens of children in worship. She has skills to do a lot of things with her life. She is in no way worthless, and I found that the mentions of her being barren over and over were disheartening. I know barren women, and they are valuable in multiple ways in life. A woman is no longer only worthy of being a wife and mother. We're on the verge of having our first woman as a President, and yet people are out there saying the only thing a woman is good for is having kids. It's ridiculous, and I think that a barren woman reading this book would be extremely depressed.
I see how "the blueberries not producing fruit" anymore is a metaphor, and it's a great one, but it's highly misused.

3/5--a decent book that could have been great.

Purchase Twilight At Blueberry Barrens

RELEASE BLITZ: "Will Of Fire" by Yasmin Fazli

Title: Will of Fire

Author: Yasmin Fazli

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Cover Designer: Aurelia Fray

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:

Elle knew that unraveling the secrets on Acryen would be difficult, but she didn’t know that it would be deadly. She knew this from the scars on her body and the heat in her eyes.

Three months have passed and what was meant to be an easy journey across the ocean has turned perilous as she’s come to realize that they’ve boarded the wrong ship—a slaver’s ship run by a cunning and devious man known only as Captain Red. Elle can’t help but find herself drawn to him and repelled at the same time. Yet, when a powerful hurricane hits the ship and Elle’s life is in danger, Peter’s hidden powers awaken, and now, they’re in trouble. The stakes are much higher than before, and Elle’s afraid that the only way out is with blood.

Elle must find the necklace awaiting in Gyoar before an elf meets her end, a quaid falls prey, a mother commits treason, and a king masks his mistake.

But above all, she must find it before her fate is sealed in ashes.

Because where hope lies, fire breathes.

Yasmin Fazli was born and raised in Southern California, changing schools her whole life. Now, she is an undergraduate college student studying biology to satisfy her love for the sciences. Yet, another part of her started to show more and more: her love for writing. She often dreams of mystical places and the perfect bad boy/prince charming who will come sweep her away. Until those happen, she continues to write away, living her fantasies through typed words with all kinds of sweets in one hand and a cup of chai tea in the other hopeful that one day her words could inspire even just one person.

Author Links:

facebook - www.facebook.com/yasminfazli.author

Instagram - @Yasmin_fazli

Twitter - @YasminFazli

Website - www.yasminfazli.com

YouTube - @YasminFazli

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1UhuATf

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10686063.Yasmin_Fazli

Buy Links:

Will of Hope: http://amzn.to/1TefBV1

Will of Fire: http://amzn.to/2cUYOfz

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RELEASE + GIVEAWAY: "Outsider" by Lindsey Winsemius

Title: Outsider

Author: Lindsey Winsemius

Series: Secret of Alba #3

Genre: Romance / Suspense / Dystopian 

Will his past become her ruin?

Helen

I had it all; power, respect, independence. But now everything is falling apart around me. And I can't help myself; I need to trust the one man I shouldn't ...

Vick

I barely escaped my past. I only bring death to people I care about, so now I keep my distance. Until her. Something about this woman draws me in ... 

Death has returned to Alba, and the number of victims is growing. Can they stop the evil plaguing their nation before it's too late?

Find out who survives the epidemic in this stunning conclusion to the Secret of Alba series. 

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The days were busy, but the nights were hell.

Being so close to Helen, so close but so distant, was taking its toll on his temper.

He looked forward to the evenings, when they would eat together, discussing the day's events. She had a sharp wit he found alternately amusing and arousing.

It was in those quiet times together that she let down her guard, and the prickly, independent woman of the day revealed a softer side he'd never seen before. 

And every night when she got up to go to her own room, it became harder and harder not to stop her. To beg her to let him in her bed.

But he'd told himself he'd give her space. She was pregnant and her lover had died only a few short months earlier.

He didn't think he could take much more.

Tonight he didn't know if he could keep himself from seeking out the relief only she could offer.

Darkness had just fallen over the city when he'd arrived home. To her villa, he corrected himself. Thinking of this place as home would be a mistake.

They'd shared dinner and retired to the study to talk, as they did most nights. He couldn't take his eyes from her as she approached, her small feet bare, two mugs of tea in her delicate hands.

She gave him a quizzical look as she handed him one, laced with the whiskey she knew he liked, and he realized he must have been staring.

He thanked her absently, forcing his gaze out the window of the sitting room. The Serenity Garden was beyond, the nearly full moon gleaming off the pool in the center, casting strange shadows from the carefully groomed shrubbery. 

He took a swallow of the tea, scalding his tongue, and cursed quietly.

"Is everything alright?" Helen asked, curling her own small form into the chair adjacent his, hands cupping her mug carefully.

"Yes, everything is fucking fantastic," he muttered.

"If you're so over-stressed, perhaps you should go to bed now," Helen retorted sharply.

Vick groaned, the image of his bed, with her in it, popping into his mind. He dropped his head in his hands, rubbing the palms on his eyes, trying to erase the image.

He heard rustling, and felt Helen's slender, cool hand on his brow. He breathed deeply of her scent; sharp and tangy citrus.

"You feel warm, but not feverish."

He laughed softly, mostly at himself.

"Vick, you're worrying me. What ...?" Helen gently forced his face up so she could search his eyes, her hands cupping his bearded jaw.

Sparks of heat traveled from where her hands touched his face and her arm brushed his.

He couldn't be the kind, understanding friend she needed tonight. Standing abruptly, he pulled her up with him. Her mouth parted in surprise, and he gave in to the urge that had been building for weeks. Since the moment he'd first seen her, in fact.

His mouth lowered, not giving her time to protest or pull away, sealing any sounds inside. He didn't waste a moment, his lips claiming hers with force, his tongue sweeping inside. His kiss was fast, almost desperate, for he was afraid she'd push him away at any moment.

She tasted of honey and lemon, her soft mouth taut in surprise for a long moment. Fear mingled with need as he began to think he'd been mistaken; that perhaps she didn't desire him as he did her. He deepened the kiss, feeling as if he was inhaling her essence, breathing the tiny gasps coming from her throat.

Just as he was about to pull away in defeat, she melted into him, her arms coming up to grip his shirt, her tongue tentatively meeting his.

He pulled her tighter against him, his large frame nearly shaking with need and the effort to go slow; to be gentle.

"Vick," she gasped as his lips left hers for a moment to taste the corner of her mouth, her high cheekbones, and delicate jaw. His hands moved from her shoulders, down her slender sides, and under the satin nightshirt she wore.

She gasped again as his palms grazed her taut nipples, his mouth drinking in the sounds hungrily. He moved lower, and they both froze as he touched the slightly convex shape of her stomach.

He felt her go stiff, her hands lowering from his arms to protectively cover her slight mound. He released her, letting her take a step back, his hands fisting at his sides to keep them from grabbing her again.

Helen swayed slightly, looked bemused, before sinking back into her chair. Her perfectly coiffed hair was mussed, her lips reddened from his kiss, light whisker burns making her smooth skin.

He knew he should probably apologize; to break the tense silence. But he couldn't, He wasn't sorry for anything. Except that it ended.

"I want you," he finally said, "I want you so damn bad its killing me to hold it in. I'm not going to apologize, and I'm not going to stop wanting to have you, any way I can get you. But I can promise you I won't do anything you don't want. Even if it means keeping my hands to myself." His voice was hoarse as he made the promise that was probably going to be his downfall. He looked out at the damn Serenity Garden, feeling frustrated as hell.

When Helen finally spoke, her words surprised him. "I won't deny I want you, too. But this pregnancy has my emotions so in turmoil, I don't trust myself ... I don't know what I really feel."

Vick turned back around, pushing back the strands of hair falling from the leather tie at his neck.

"I'll give you all the time you need to decide what you want," he promised rashly, desperately glad she wasn't demanding he leave her house.

You're a fool, March. There is no way this can end well for you two.

Since when had that ever stopped him? He wasn't looking for any happy endings. His hand went to stroke his beard, feeling the scars running along his jawline. He'd learned to take what joy he could, because life had no guarantees. And he would find a hell of a lot of joy from being with Helen, however she let him.

"You're so generous," Helen said drily. 

Vick grinned in response. "A little too arrogant? Running the State must be going to my head. I'm just not used to so much responsibility in my little 'ole town of Vicksburg."

"I can see how it would be a bit of a shock." Her small smile and dry response told him she wasn't offended at his gently mockery. Damn, another thing he loved about her; her tough skin and quick wit.

Her expression changed, growing serious. She stood, moving close to face him. Her hand lifted hesitantly to trace the same path his often unconsciously took along his jaw.

He almost jerked away as her gentle touch found the same grooves that hid beneath his beard, scars on his skin that ran much deeper. He forced himself to remain still, letting her hand gently trace the damaged skin, following it to the corner of his mouth, moving over his lips. He couldn't stop his jaw from clenching with the effort to remain immobile. 

She raised on her toes and pulling his head down, kissed his cheek just above his beard, sending a thrill that wasn't just sexual straight to his chest.

"Sometime, I hope you'll tell me the story of how this happened."

"It's rather dull." He fought to keep his smile in place and his tone light. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to hear it."

"Hmm, I have a feeling I need to hear it," she replied thoughtfully, and he felt uncomfortably exposed under her gaze. "Or perhaps you need to tell it." 

Vick opened his mouth with a quick retort, but couldn't force the words out. He turned away with an inarticulate growl. This woman was getting under his skin like no one else had ever been able to.

"Dammit, Helen, just because I want you doesn't mean I'm going to spill my past while you mop my tears." He felt remorse as soon as the words left his lips. But the worst part was that he wanted to spill his secrets; to unload on her fragile shoulders. That was ludicrous; he had been self-contained for his entire life. He certainly wasn't going to start needing someone now.

Helen settled back into her chair, not saying anything. Waiting.

The silence stretched and for once Vick couldn't seem to find any blase comment to fill it. His hand rose to stroke the scar before his stopped himself. 

What did it matter? If she really wanted the whole sordid story, he'd tell her. Maybe then it would help her keep her distance.

To learn how dangerous it was to care about him.

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AUTHOR BIO

Lindsey Winsemius is an author, marketer, and supermom surviving on coffee and wine on the West Michigan Lakeshore. She learned from a young age that books hold the key to new worlds. As a young adult, she was often caught with forbidden romance novels under her mattress. She's currently published three romance novels, and is working on her fourth which will be released in spring 2017, assuming her wine and coffee don't run out out.

Learn more about her and her books on her WEBSITE and find her on FACEBOOK. 

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BOOK REVIEW: "My Servant, My Lover" by TL Travis

The Sebastian Chronicles is a series of 5 Erotic Paranormal Novelettes that will take you through each century since Sebastian Benoit’s Vampiric inception. 
In book two My servant, my lover Sebastian embarks upon a forbidden romance with a member of his staff in Isabel’s home. This cardinal rule was one Isabel was adamant it never be broken and with good reason. But is the crime worth the potential punishment? 
In this novelette you will live vicariously through our beloved Vampire Sebastian and his sexual escapades from the 18th century.

I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book two picks up two centuries where book one left off, but what happened in those two centuries is a bit shocking as we find out--as the teasers say--what happened to Isabel. No spoilers, but I will say that IT BETTER NOT BE TRUE. Okay, back to being a professional.
Despite these stories being so short, you really come to care about the characters. Sebastian is still not my favorite, but his story does keep momentum flowing.
Out of the two new characters, I love Lorenzo. He's hot as Hell, no pun intended. Nicolette I found to be a lying you-know-what, but I can't deny her scenes are also hot as Hell.
This book is written and edited better than the first; I only found one error in the entire thing (expresso instead of espresso). You can see an improvement in the short time between releases, and I can't wait for book three!

5/5--emotional and very, very hot.

Purchase My Servant, My Lover via Amazon.

BOOK REVIEW: "Sebastian The Beginning" by TL Travis

The Sebastian Chronicles is a series of 5 Erotic Paranormal Novelettes that will take you through each century since Sebastian Benoit’s Vampiric inception.
In book one Sebastian, the beginning you learn why his maker Isabel chose him to be her mate.
Isabel stalked Sebastian even going so far as to watch him satisfy his many lovers. He had a death wish, one that an angry husband would surely have carried out had Isabel not turned him in time.
Sebastian’s hatred for Isabel overshadows the gift she’s given him causing her to doubt her decision. Will he ever learn to love her as much as she loves him?

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Sebastian is a fast read, barely half an hour tops. I'm that half hour, you'll be taken on a thrilling ride of love, vampirism, and, of course, sex. Let's start with the bad.
Two things made this a four star review instead of five. One is the POV change; it frequently goes inside the heads of both main characters. While I usually love those, when the POV changes multiple times per chapter with no warning, it can be difficult to read. The second thing is that the author repeatedly says the phrase "my love"in two languages, sometimes four times per page. It is so repetitive, it can be comical.
Despite having some language issues (they live in the sixteenth century, but occasionally use modern phrases), this story is filled with action and romance at every step. I really love Isabel, and can't wait to see where her story goes. I am dying to know more about her and Marcus.
I did like Sebastian, he's sexy as Hell, but a bit needy and too trusting.
I'm excited to see where this story takes both. Onto the next novella now...

4/5--sexy as Hell!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: "Deadly Deceit" by Karen Randau

Book Description:

A cocoon of naiveté shatters on Rita Warren’s thirtieth wedding anniversary, when a terrorist murders her ex-Marine husband Jared and thirteen other movie goers.

Ensnarled in a cover-up that puts her in an assassin’s crosshairs, Rita must unravel a web of lies and connections that date back to Jared’s service in the Iraq war – before a mysterious kidnapper returns Rita’s daughter Zoe one body part at a time.

This fast-paced thriller is one you won’t want to put down from beginning to end.

Excerpt:

I’d never seen him in our small town of Rim Vista. He turned his blue and black motorcycle into the movie theater parking lot behind the silver Cadillac my husband Jared used for ferrying high-dollar real estate clients around Arizona.

The motorcyclist’s blue riding clothes matched his sleek Yamaha. The snug fit of his clothes suggested a lean and muscled young man. He paused by the sidewalk, at the front of the lane where we parked and turned the reflective shield of his helmet toward us. He pulled a paper from his jacket pocket. Looked down, then in our direction. Stuffed the object into his saddlebag.

Jared pulled my attention away from Motorcycle Guy when he slid a box with flowery wrapping from under his seat. “Happy thirtieth anniversary, Rita.” He flashed his special smile that melted my heart, as it had the first time I saw it in high school. Maybe whatever had been bothering Jared for the past six months was over, and life could return to normal.

My excitement plummeted when I tore open the package and an ugly purse fell to the floor, cherry tooled leather with a vintage Wild West aura. I warned myself not to ruin what had otherwise been a fun day and attempted a bright and cheerful tone. “Kind of an Annie Oakley look.” I nestled into his shoulder, rubbed his cheek, breathed in his scent. “Thank you. I will always cherish it because you gave it to me.”

“That’s what you used to say to the kids when they made you crafts at school.” His firm grip on my shoulders almost hurt as he pushed me away.

“And I’ve kept and treasured those things.” I hoped my smile would recover the lighthearted mood we had maintained all day.

“Hid them is more like it.” He opened his door, told me to put his present in the trunk, and stomped away.

Motorcycle Guy was still idling his bike at the front of our lane in the parking lot. Jared walked around him, toward the box office. Motorcycle Guy watched me open and shut the trunk, then moved forward and blocked my path to the sidewalk. Only for a moment. Long enough for a shudder to roll through me. Between that young man acting strange and Jared losing his temper again, I no longer wanted to see the movie.

Through a wall of windows in the lobby, while Jared bought snacks and exchanged enthusiastic greetings with neighbors, clients, and strangers, I watched Motorcycle Guy park his ride, stow his helmet, and buy his ticket. He was about six feet tall, with a shaved head and face. Handsome, in a twenty-something Will Smith way. He nodded a quick greeting when he entered the lobby, then looked away. Maybe I’d misjudged him. Maybe he was just waiting for his date to arrive.

Bio:

A native of the southwestern U.S., Karen Randau has been writing and telling stories since elementary school. She holds a degree in journalism/public relations from The University of Texas at Austin and has enjoyed a long career in marketing communications.

After a short stint working in a psychiatric hospital, when she wrote three self-help books, Karen joined an international relief and development organization to use her skills to help people struggling with extreme poverty. She has traveled to numerous developing countries, witnessing famines, violence, and hopeful people working to overcome a generational cycle of poverty.

She loves to read and write fast-paced mysteries and thrillers, especially those with intricate plots, lots of action, and rollercoaster-like twists and turns.

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